Enable more people every day to enjoy a fuller life

Sustainable solutions for customers and consumers

Essity has a system for handling complaints from customers and consumers. Essity always seeks to compensate dissatisfied customers directly and determine whether a need exists for further measures beyond the individual case. For example, production personnel receive feedback to determine whether a production fault was the underlying cause. User complaints and opinions provide valuable customer and consumer insight and the knowledge gathered is transferred to the organization.

Essity’s innovation process originates in an understanding of a customer or consumer need. The process is divided into four phases: feasibility, development, capacity and launch. Read more at www.essity.com/sustainability.

Essity has a portal for open innovation. Inventors, entrepreneurs and small companies are invited to submit solutions in response to various challenges from Essity. The solutions should be patented so that there are no outstanding issues regarding intellectual property rights should the proposal result in a licensing agreement or other type of business arrangement. A number of proposals have been submitted this way that have led to further collaboration or product launches.

Essity follows a life cycle approach to understand the environmental, social and societal impact of the company’s products, packaging and services. This makes it possible to meet customers’ needs and exceed their expectations. The company promotes life cycle thinking in its sourcing, production and development of innovations.

Responsible sourcing involves seeking high-quality raw materials that are safe from both an environmental and social perspective. Essity’s suppliers adhere to strict standards, including criteria for quality, product safety, environment, chemicals and business responsibility.

Resource-efficient production focuses on an efficient use of resources and on reducing energy consumption and waste. The production units apply management systems such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001.

Sustainable products and services are defined as innovative, safe, environmentally and socially sound products, packaging and services. Essity’s innovations are developed based on the company’s three sustainability platforms of “well-being”, “more from less” and “circularity”. It is essential to optimize products, packaging and services during use to reduce consumption and waste.

The company has used life cycle assessments (LCAs) since the early 1990s. An LCA illustrates the complete environmental impact of a product based on the ISO 14040 and 14044 standards. The company supplements these ISO standards with product-specific rules in place for hygiene products. It is a standardized measurement of environmental impact in every phase of the product, from raw materials, product development, production and use to disposal of waste. For each activity in the life cycle, an LCA calculates the impact of resources, energy and transportation and the output of, for example, emissions to air and water. The result of an LCA is expressed in environmental impact categories. The LCAs conducted by Essity cover the main impact categories that describe the potential impact on the environment, meaning the product’s carbon footprint, acidification of rivers and lakes, and eutrophication of land or water systems.

Essity follows strict requirements and procedures to ensure that all materials in the company’s products are safe for consumers, employees and the environment. The company has global product guidelines in place for all products to ensure that they are safe for their intended purpose. Product safety requirements are a key component of Essity’s Global Supplier Standard, and the company works closely with its suppliers to ensure these are met. Only chemicals that meet Essity’s stringent safety requirements are used. Their potential impact on employees, customers, consumers and the environment is evaluated continuously.

Essity complies with all prevailing laws and regulations that apply to the company’s products.

Community relations

Essity strives to be a dedicated partner in the local communities in which it operates. In accordance with Essity’s guidelines for community relations, the company prioritizes initiatives with a clear link to Essity’s operations, expertise, culture and geographic presence. Much of the company’s efforts are related to hygiene and health, and are often directed at women and children. Examples of Essity’s community relations are available at www.essity.com/sustainability.